https://medicalxpress.com/dermatology-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Dermatology Northwestern scientists have developed a novel wireless sensor device that can continuously monitor skin elasticity in patients with soft tissue disorders, including lymphedema and scleroderma, which can support early disease detection and better inform care strategies, as detailed in a study published in Science Advances. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-wireless-skin-sensor-track-soft.html Sat, 25 Jul 2026 08:00:06 EDT news703944603 Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys melanocytes, the cells that produce the skin pigment melanin. Once the melanocytes are gone, the skin turns white, leading to the characteristic skin patches of the disease. However, the standard model of vitiligo doesn't explain some of its unusual features. Some vitiligo lesions repigment, and treatments sometimes restore pigmentation even in areas that lack melanocytes, suggesting that the melanocytes may not be fully destroyed. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-dormant-pigment-cells-vitiligo-patches.html Thu, 23 Jul 2026 15:00:08 EDT news704031481 The use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity is associated with an increased risk of hair loss (alopecia) in adults with type 2 diabetes, a study published by The BMJ finds. Although the absolute risk is low, awareness of this potential effect may help inform shared treatment decisions, the researchers say. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-glp-diabetes-drugs-linked-higher.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 18:30:01 EDT news703914961 Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting more than 60 million people worldwide, characterized by painful red patches, scaling and skin thickening. While existing biologic treatments largely focus on calming hyperactive T cells in the skin, complete disease resolution remains challenging. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-skin-bone-marrow-axis-discovery.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:00:04 EDT news703941362 Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses a light-sensitive drug and a specific wavelength of light to destroy cancer cells. The treatment has become an important option for certain skin cancers because it can target diseased tissue while limiting damage to surrounding skin. But PDT has a fundamental challenge: both the drug and the light must reach the same area of tissue. While drugs applied to the skin often struggle to penetrate deeply, light also loses intensity as it passes through tissue, limiting treatment to relatively shallow lesions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-microneedles-hard-skin-cancers.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:00:10 EDT news703858681 A research team from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) reports that a pathway-targeted therapy could be an effective treatment for certain melanoma patients and fill an unmet clinical need for patients with advanced disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-edge-drug-patients-nras-driven.html Sat, 18 Jul 2026 14:00:01 EDT news703497825 An international research team led by Dr. Frank Bosmans (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) has discovered a major genetic cause of hyperhidrosis (chronic and excessive sweating). The study, published in Science Advances, provides strong evidence that a genetically determined form of hyperhidrosis arises from overstimulation of the nerves that control the sweat glands. The discovery removes the stigma surrounding the condition and paves the way for targeted treatments using existing medicines. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-genetic-redefines-excessive-treatable-neurological.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:00:05 EDT news703402977 An international team led by researchers at Hiroshima University has developed a new way to detect subtle, early-stage changes in human skin collagen before any visible signs of damage appear. The study, published in ACS Nano, reveals that the molecular organization and supramolecular chirality—or structural handedness—of dermal collagen collapse before the visible fiber network actually thins or fragments. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-optical-method-reveals-early-collagen.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:01 EDT news703314873 Biohub researchers have performed what they believe is the first genome-wide CRISPR study of primary human adult skin cells, then used an AI model to mine the results for overlooked drug targets for psoriasis. They found an unlikely candidate: the receptor for oxytocin, a hormone involved in childbirth and sometimes called the "love hormone" for its additional role in social bonding. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-ai-crispr-uncovers-oxytocin-receptor.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:40:01 EDT news702741456 Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have uncovered a critical link between the immune system in early life and its function in adulthood. The study, published in Science Immunology, identifies a new role for specialized skin immune cells, called Langerhans cells, in shaping the development of lymphatic vessels—an essential part of the body's immune network. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-reveals-early-life-cellular-lifelong.html Mon, 29 Jun 2026 13:00:07 EDT news701952242 You've likely heard it since childhood: Don't scratch that bug bite or rash, you'll make it worse. But why would something that feels so good be bad? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-bug-good-science-bad-idea.html Sat, 27 Jun 2026 15:28:31 EDT news701792886 Two proteins with opposing functions orchestrate the development and maintenance of healthy skin, Stanford Medicine researchers have found. Modulating their activity with topical drugs could reduce inflammation, aid wound healing and slow or halt the growth of skin cancer, the researchers believe. The findings are published in the journal Science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-opposing-protein-pathways-skin-stem.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 15:53:35 EDT news701621585 Human skin is constantly rebuilding itself. Every few weeks, the outermost layers shed and are replaced by new cells pushed up from the base. For decades, scientists believed this renewal depended heavily on fibroblasts, a class of supportive cells nestled in the deeper layer of the skin that secrete growth-promoting molecules and build the structural scaffolding that holds tissue together. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-skin-renews-fibroblast-depletion-mice.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:00:07 EDT news701531401 Sunscreen is overwhelmingly promoted in popular TikTok videos, but content containing health misinformation about sunscreen attracts disproportionately high audience engagement, according to a new study published June 18 in the open access journal PLOS Digital Health by Alessandro Marcon of the University of Alberta, Canada, and colleagues. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-sunscreen-misinformation-high-engagement-tiktok.html Thu, 18 Jun 2026 14:00:03 EDT news700988821 An international team of researchers report in the journal Nature Immunology that a mutation in the gene OTULIN causes pediatric-onset pyoderma gangrenosum, characterized by recurrent ulcerating skin sores. They classify the condition as a new inborn error of immunity (IEI)—one of a group of more than 500 genetic disorders that impair the development or function of the immune system. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-genetic-rare-skin-condition-therapeutic.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:00:07 EDT news700752781 QIMR Berghofer scientists have uncovered hundreds of genes that play a role in the growth of both moles and melanoma, in a discovery that could lead to new ways of preventing and treating the deadliest form of skin cancer. The world's largest genetics study of "moliness," published in Nature Communications, is unraveling the complex causes of both moles and melanomas that are not related to well-known risks caused by sun exposure, skin color and pigmentation. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-world-largest-genetic-moliness-unravel.html Mon, 15 Jun 2026 14:40:06 EDT news700746783